Joy as the Friggin' Point

I just watched an excellent series on YouTube called Children of the Stones. Old Brit show for young adults. Ian, the guy who drew the cadceus on my blog introduced it to us tonight. Part of the plot is that some of the people are all happy, too happy, and too smart for their own good.

That was what made them super creepy.

They were happy. And they could do math.

Math!

Friggin' pagan bear cult ley line magus interstellar black hole sun transmission and world domination. And time travel.

Anyway, good show, but it's weird to me that the writers chose intelligence and joy as the symptoms of the people being brainwashed. It's like they're saying, hey, those guys are happy... WTF is their problem? There must be something wrong with happy smart people. No one can be that smart and not be a bitter cynic. No one who can be happy can also do all that ... that ... that math!

When I started processing some of the things I learned in my Work, I found myself ebullient with joy and feeling pretty insightful. I was excited and wanted to tell everyone. I admit it, I had a touch of the old insufferableprickitis. But that's ok. Because this time it was different, I had this understanding of how things worked, I could see how people had trapped themselves in terrible lives by telling themselves convincingly that they had to stay there. I'd done it so well myself.

And what I saw was that it is the same ability to convince yourself that you are stuck that is the power of speaking things into being. The thing Hermeticists learn how to do really well in the Great Work, the operation of making the unseen idea in our head into a manifest reality. It's why aphorisms work, it's the power of New Thought (The Secret) and all the things it teaches that work, sometimes. We are that which can turn things imagined into an experience that we and others can participate in.

But when you do that, you are pretty happy. You're aware of what's going on in your life. You know which currents are currently manifesting, and how they will impact your sphere to bring about your current project. You have a framework that lets you predict outcomes, you have an overarching goal in place, and you've got several experiments running in parallel that are bringing you closer every day. You are satisfied at your progress, excited about your latest discoveries, and already working towards what comes next.

And that, apparently, scares the everloving crap out of people.

Like in The Matrix, the first simulated world was perfect, and no human brain could accept it, and they lost whole crops. So they created an imperfect world, our world, and humans thrived.

We can't accept the idea that people can have good lives, be smart, happy, and content. There's something wrong with those people. Something strange. Something just not right.

That's why I've been on this interview schtick lately. I have proof that I'm not alone, and I'm not crazy. Or a fraud, or a guru, or anything like that. I've got friends who are doing it too, making their lives work, and making it happen.

Charming Glamourists, who doubled their sales from one year to the next, doing what she teaches others to do. Bearded frothing mad Bards telling stories of emergence that grip you by the hypocampus and make you see the timeless moment. .Net programmers doing the whole full-on Abramelin rite on the side that matters, the inside. Professional sorcerors managing their kingdom and providing income by talking about sex, and magic.

They're doing it, they're speaking their worlds into being, creating the situations and experiences they want to participate with. And yes, they are terrified, and thrilled, and angry, and prosperous, and insane, and masters, and total noobs all the time with a sense of wonder that pervades all they do. Sometimes it's wonder in an awed sort of way. Other times they're wondering WTF they're doing with their lives.

But they're all doing it, sometimes they're doing it anyway, all pursuing the manifestation of their reality in accordance with their will. They are doing it. Manifesting branches and fruit of Yggdrasil. By seed and root and stem and bud and leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke Thee, they say, making the unmanifest manifest.

And why?

Because they can't NOT.

They've got to, mister. They can never stop doing this thing because it is what makes them happy. It fulfils us to do this. We ascend the spheres and return in power, and we create the world. We're tweaking our approach, honing our techniques, passing on the things we do for others to see, try on, and keep what works for them as they put together their own magical practice.

The thing that drives them is what I mean when I say Joy. Ecstatic mysteries aside, joy is that feeling of awesome thrill when you've done something cool, and it worked. Sometimes it's even noticed, rarely it may even be appreciated.

Even if it is, though, that's not the point.

We do it because we must. We must feel that joy. Nothing else matters. We all found our way to it, and we do what works for us, because we like it.

And that's the point. I say:

Joy.

It doesn't matter what you create, creation itself is the thing that brings it to you:

Joy.

It's what tells you you've done it right, well done, be proud, and what's next?

Joy.

Existence, the active and interactive experince of existence... is pure joy.

A Recipe for Cheer

Fundamentally, what I've always experienced as "The Christmas Spirit" is the feeling of celebration of life itself. Sostice is about that, the return of the Sun. Christmas is about that, the coming of the savior of the world. In the darkest of days, a glimmer of hope comes to remind us that Spring is around the corner, and to hang in there, the Holly King will fall, and the Oak King shall return to rule another season.

We exchange gifts to celebrate what we have, what we hope for, what is to come. We celebrate the things we can so-easily lose sight of in the darkest depths of winter, when the days are so short, and we are struggling to get through to daylight again.  We celebrate to remind us of the things we lost sight of in the daily bullshit of life. We are Scrooge, who has gotten cynical and needs the reminders and touchstones with bright joyful times of the past and present to avoid a grim and cold future.

That's what the magic of the Christmas spirit is all about, and that is what was lacking this year in the HF-RO HQ Midwest Division.

Harper and I were talking the other day about how the Christmas Spirit hadn't descended upon our house. It wasn't that I was feeling un-cheerful, or un-grateful, or un-celebratory, quite the opposite, in fact. I am joyful and so very thankful for every wonderful aspect of my life. What's missing this year isn't the feelings of Joy at all.

What's missing is the absence of this feeling the rest of the year.

We were talking about it again Christmas morning, and about what makes what we have so cool. Most of the things we do in our lives, we would do regardless of being in a relationship together. We have similar goals, goals that we have each spent a long time figuring out will make us happy. We have similar incomes, the results of our hard work, and the good fortune granted by our invisible friends. We have both been through enough of life to recognize the basic processes that need to be in place to have a happy life, and we do those things together, but not for each other; we would each do so individually, regardless of our relationship.

And that's sort of the thing. Our relationship is based first on our own individual happiness. That's a key piece we both realized after years of trying to do things with people who made us feel badly about ourselves. We both understand that if the things we do individually aren't compatible, no amount of wishing, trying, or sacrificing on our parts will ever make the other person happy. In fact, we recognize that neither of us can make the other person happy. No one can make anyone feel anything. And neither of us are interested in making another person feel anything. We want to be appreciated, sure, but we want it to be honest. And if it's not something the other person feels honestly, well, ok. They aren't the reason we do what we do, we do it for us, and if the other person appreciates it, so much the better.

And we've been fortunate to find another person who appreciates the things we do, the work we've done, the accomplishments we've made, the beauty and joy of our lives, and how much better it is to merge them together. We express our gratitude and joy regularly, because we can. We don't resent one another because we don't sacrifice for one another; we don't have to.

There are some tips and tricks we use to have a great relationship, it's not like we don't do any work to maintain what we have. We based our relationship on the same levels of communication and honesty that our friends in the Polyamory communities use, when they are successful. We had frequent checkpoints to touch base and see how each other were feeling in the first year or so. These days they happen a lot less often, but still pretty regularly. We discuss things that cause us to have feelings we don't like, things that make us sad that happen, and we listen to each other without interrupting. We don't defend ourselves, and we care about each other very much. We don't expect the other person to change because of our feelings, but we trust each other to help us deal with the feelings in ways that are mutually beneficial.

So I was thinking today about how the "Christmas Spirit" is something we experience all year long, and how it's the result of the recipe we have for our lives. We each tried the recipe with other people and it turned out badly, but basically our recipe is a good one, and I'd like to share what we do with you on this Christmas day, so that maybe part of our recipe will be something you can add to yours to increase your Joy all year long:

Be happy with yourselves. I'm not saying be at rest with how you are and make a bunch of excuses for your shitty behavior. If you don't like who you are, if you are working against yourself for some reason, making choices that leave you unhappy, broke, or further away from your heart's desire, then change yourself. It isn't easy, but it isn't impossible either. Whatever you change, you'll find you aren't really changing yourself as much as you are revealing yourself, and it's a process that never ends. But you should be happy with yourself when you're alone. If you aren't happy alone, you won't be happy anywhere with anyone. This is a big part of the Great Work. Or maybe it's just a side effect that I appreciate a lot because it's such a huge difference in comparison to how I felt about myself for so long.

Have a good income. Make some money. A "good income" covers all your monthly bills with 25-30% left over for savings and fun stuff. If you make $1000 a month, you should spend no more than $750 on your monthly expenses. The rest should go to a savings account and for treating yourself well. The variables you can influence are your monthly income and your monthly expenses. Raise the income, lower the out-go, or both. Career training, educations, and certifications can help increase incomes, and there are a ton of resources available about budgeting that you can find in an afternoon on Google. But I've found that if you are saving 20% of your income and have 5% of it available for fun stuff, you're going to have a steady financial experience that eliminates most of your stress in your life.

Be grateful. Being grateful is the natural result of having a low-stress life, I think. It's also one of the keys to ceating one. We spend a lot of time paying our attention to things that we think, feel, and experience. What we pay our attention to in life grows. The more we think about things, the bigger they get in our lives. So if we pay attention to all the negative things more than the positive things, the negative things will keep growing bigger, and the positives will keep growing smaller. I'm not saying if you think positive, everything becomes positive at all. I'm saying if you give a little time each day in appreciation for the good things, you'll start to see more of them, and they will grow larger and more influential in your life over time, and the negative things will shrink down to manageable portions. Having a good income helps.

These are the main things that seem to be the key ingredients for the recipe we use to have a joyful life all year round. We spent the time doing the work, and now we get to reap the rewards. We have goals we are working toward, and we are doing the Work now that will result in our desired outcome. We are physically heatlhy, mentally challenged, and romantically engaged with one another. We celebrate our lives, daily.

On Christmas we celebrated each other's company with our family, opened presents, and had some really good lamb and pasqalina. An excellent time was had, and it was special and joyful in ways that we don't get to celebrate every day, but it was entirely in keeping with the standard of joy in our lives.

Merry Christmas to all! And may your year be full of Cheer!

Scotch Sessions Episode 1 is available!

The unedited version is here, for your amusement. I might go through and make it better if it gets too silly at the end. I don't really remember the last bits of what we talked about, besides just having a really good time.

I totally drank too much and had to take a nap.

Link to Webinar/Interview/Conversation with Craig Slee

The Scotch Sessions: Episode 1: Craig Slee and Rufus Opus

Updating the "ROpocalypse" theme a bit for this one. :D

Below you'll find the link to our conversation, scheduled to start in about 45 minutes (12:00 PM Central, 6:00 pm GMT). Please join us and if we aren't too drunk and angry to speak to people, we may take some questions at the end via the chat window.

It's a Gotomeeting, and you can get in using the link below:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/282034413

ROpocalypse Now! With Special Guest Craig VI Slee!

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

12:00 PM Central, 6:00 PM GMT see Craig VI Slee and Rufus Opus get schnockered and talk/discuss/and-sorta-not-really-argue about Heathenry, Goetia, Hermetics, and the manifestation of the story of our lives!

Craig is a silver-tongued bard from the old country, wandering around living the kind of life that Jake Stratton-Kent is tryingto make available to everyone. His wit, wisdom, and insight into the invisible realms is a thing mighty to behold.

We've each set aside a bottle of scotch for this, he's drinking Laphroaig, I'm sticking with the Macallan, but there will be drunken shenanigans and deep thoughts exchanged.

To get some idea of the kind of guy he is, check out his bio and previous posts to Cold-Albion. He's also curently a writer and creative content developer with Foolish People, one of the most interesting groups I've seen putting magical theory into practice in their lives this decade.

We're still working on determining the format. We'll be drinking live and recording it and publishing it later for anyone who doesn't see it. It will likel be on either Google or GotoMeeting. I'll post a link on my FB page when it's available!

ROpocalypse Now! With Special Guest Scarlet Magdalene!

At LAST! 

Sorry it's taken so long to get this up, but here it is, finally. 

Scarlet is wrapping up her Abramelin work and getting ready for the final rites next week. In our discussion, we cover what it's like to go through this process, the perception of it vs. the reality, and of course, how the magic we work manifests in our lives on a regular basis. 

Seven Spheres Course Available to the First 25 People to Sign Up (this session, others to follow)

Ok, so I am FINALLY ready to start selling the Seven Spheres Course!

My web site is totally fuct. I'm going to fix it eventually, but until then, I made some blogger pages to house my stuff.

Regarding the Seven Spheres Course: Check out the description on the page. It tells you what you need to know. DO NOT BUY THE COURSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BOOK. Buy the book here, then sign up for the courses:

BUY SEVEN SPHERES BOOK

I also created a new page for my eBooks, my other Courses, and my personal time. The links are on my blog site on the  of these posts, if you're on my blog page. Otherwise they are here below:

• Seven Spheres Course
• Other Courses
• eBooks
• My Precious Time

ROocalypse Now! Advanced Warning: Special Guest Scarlet Magdalene!

So this weekend, I'll be doing a broadcast of my hit show, ROpocalypse Now! featuring yet another awesome friend of mine who's totally DOING THE WORK that makes this stuff we do so fun.

This weekend at 2:00 PM Eastern, I'll be interviewing Scarlet Magdalene, a long time riend and co-working magician who has been both inspirational and motivational throughout my Work. I think it will be on a GoToMeeting, like SOMA uses, but I don't have a link yet. I'll update it here and publish it all over facebook when the time comes. Here's the link:

1.  Please join my meeting.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/522501021

2.  Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended.

Scarlet and I go way back. Our friendship extends to the time I first was thinking I might possibly maybe in some way have attained K&CHGA, and the network of contacts she maintained helped me see and understand what that might mean and how it works in practice.

Long time veteran of many inter-order wars, erotic fiction writer, female geek who overcomes the bullshit adolescent male dominated tech industry dialy, entrepreneur, successful contactor, life coach, and vegan, Scarlet exemplifies the potential of what an activated magician can do, if they want. Nothing stops her, and nothing keeps her down. Fearless and persistant.

Anyway, we're going to have a lot of fun talking about her adventures in the Abramelin rite, the joys of finding almond wands, how stupid people can be, and how to get past that and go after the things you love.

For more information about her, you can find her on FaceBook, or take a look at her blog, Alchemical Musings, "the caffienated philosophical rantings of a mystic who maybe thinks too much."

ROpocalypse Now! With Special Guest Jason Miller!

In today's edition of ROpocalypse Now!, I sat down with Jason Miller to discuss his latest book, Sex, Sorcery and Spirit. As might be expected, we meandered.

I had a chance to go over some of my favorite topics with him, and explore the things we enjoy doing most. Jason has been an inspiration, a mentor, and above all else, a friend over the last few years. We joined the Gents for Jupiter together, and his whole life, in spite of what he likes to say about himself, is exactly the kind of example of what a magician can do if they set their minds, hearts, intentions, and magical resources to manifesting what they want, as they see fit.

He has issues though. He can't admit he's become a living god.

I kid! I kid so much.

But watch the interview, you'll see what I mean. Dude's living the dream and won't take credit for it because he's gone through enough shit to know better than to start claiming titles or anything.

I like this conversing with my friends thing, it seems to be working out nicely. I think I'll keep working on the camera thing, I haven't figured out pointing it at the person speaking yet.

Also it took a few HOURS to load to youtube, so I am not editing it any more to add in my awesome intro/outro music.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Tonight: Seven Spheres on SOMA!

This evening we'll be doing another webinar, this time on the subject of my new book, Seven Spheres! It's free to the members of the S.O.M.A. FaceBook group, which can be found here:

Link to FaceBook S.O.M.A. Group

My show starts at 11:00 Eastern, and it will likely go for a half-hour to an hour. It's way past my bed time, but it'll be fun anyway. 

Also, for those interested in the course, I will be making an announcement about how to sign up here on the blog shortly. I need to fix my web site up a bit, and finish getting a few of the presentations ready before I feel comfortable selling it.

Oh, and guys who bought the book, thank you so much! Sales are going great, the books are flying off the shelves. I thought I'd have a hard time getting rid of them, but man, you guys rock. If you haven't bought yours yet, no pressure, but they're probably about a third gone so far.

When I start the courses, they're going to go for about five weeks at a time. We'll work through the Seven Spheres over a five-week period, and that will make sense to those who've bought the books.

More on that to come!

ROpoclypse Now! With Special Guest Deborah Castellano!

I really wish the video had been saved, Deb was every bit as lovely as you'd expect a Glamour Artiste to be. I don't really understand why it didn't, but at least I managed to save the audio.

I had such a good time. This is basically a conversation between two friends who happen to be awesome magicians. Deb's ongoing success speaks louder than anything else ever could, and her practice and graceful approach to this thing we do have been an ongoing source of inspiration and motivation for me since I had the good fortune to meet her. 

You can watch the video here, and while it's playing go check out her store in another tab. Remember, all orders must be in by December 12 to receive them in time for Christmas! She's at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MermaidAndCrow

ROPOCALYPSE NOW! With Special Guest/Secret Mentor Deborah Castellano!

So, I'm going to start doing the ROpocalypse Now! broadcasts more regularly now that my book is published. I have things to talk about, things to say, things to teach, things to promote...

And there are these people, people you need to know about. I'm not insane, or alone in this stuff. I have friends that are making this shit happen, this "what thou will" shit, on the regular. I'm in talks now with a couple of my favorite Magicians to do some interviews.

This weekend I scored an interview with Deb Castellano, author of the Arte of Glamour, and also mistress of the Charmed Finishing School.

Deb's been an inspiration and a key component in the development of the R.O. you know and love today. Her writings and insights led to the understanding and practices that let me enjoy an amazing relationship with an amazing lover. She's been such an integral part of the joyful unfolding of my life that I feel like it's super valuable for you to experience.

She also happens to provide me with the mojo hand feeding oils I use regularly in my own practice. I recently went to her Etsy Shop, La Sirène et le Corbeau (The Mermaid and the Crow) and ended up not only restocking Aurora and the High John oil, but also buying a shit ton of new stuff she's got available, including but not limited to the Tumnus the Fawn scent she made based on the Narnia stories.

She's also got a discontinued Jadis scent that we talk about in the interview. You probably couldn't handle it. She's big, she's powerful, and she knows what she wants, and I know how scary that can be to you. The way it was for me, before I stopped giving shits.

Deb's a walking talking example of how making this stuff a part of our lives changes our lives. Her nonchalant integration of magical practices is exactly the kind of thing you'd expect a Mistress of the Artes to manifest.

Anyway, look for the link to the interview as soon as possible, I'm working on it as we speak!

Hail hail hail!

In thanks to BUNÉ, who is the very best most awesome wealth spirit in the entire Lemegeton's Goetia!

You, sir, are awesome to work with, and may you be blessed, even as I am blessed working with you.

A Godly Reminder, and a Definition

Screw That Guy Encouraging
Abusing EA's Family

With the news that E.A. Koetting was busted on drug and gun charges, the occult community reacted with a weird mix of support from his fans and contemptuous self-righteous snerkery from his detractors. I was disgusted by the folks posting links to his girlfriend's father's facebook page, and especially the guy that posted the contact information of his daughter suggesting people write her about what a shame it is that her dad is a meth-head.

Screw that guy.

Aaron Leitch has posted a mixed response, calling out Koetting on some of the things he's done and how he's done them. I have been blissfully unaware of some of the more outrageous stuff he's done to make a name and a few dollars. I understand better where some of the "he brought it on himself" stuff is coming from.

The first I really started hearing about Koetting's writings was when I started expressing that the point of the Hermetic Great Work is to make you a living god. I thought that was awesome, and accurate, and totally in keeping with Iamblichus, Plotinus, and a lot of the Greek Magical Papyri and the art of Goetia. I thought it was just perfect, and then people started comparing me to Koetting. Because he already used the term, and made similar claims, but he was "a complete and total toolbox" about it, to quote a friend.

I don't know what he thought or taught the phrase "becoming a living God" meant, or how he feels about it today, but I'm pretty sure I meant something else. In the Corpus Hermeticum, it's taught that we are already the image of God, and that when we incarnated we forgot our divine nature. Through Hermetic pursuits, we remember who we are, where we came from, and what we incarnated for in the first place (hint: it's to have fun). That's what the Great Work is all about, remembering that you are, in fact, a living god.

Since Koetting's arrest, I've seen a few smug posts mocking his deity claims, or something to similar effect. "Not much of a god if he got caught, eh? Not much of a powerful magician if he can't avoid a simple traffic stop, eh?*"

Even Aaron's post is titled, "The Fall of a Living God," which is artful, entertaining, and a very good selection of a title for a blog post... But I would like to suggest that it is premature,** and perhaps inaccurate as well.

First off, the presupposition is that Gods are all-powerful and never have a shitty day with the law. That's some really seriously terribly wrong information, brothers and sisters. What makes you think gods don't have to put up with any bullshit ever? Let me share a gentle reminder about being gods:

• Jesus Christ had a pretty shitty Friday afternoon that you might have forgotten about when he was 33 (incidently, the same age as Koetting).
• Remember Osiris? He, ahem, did not have a great time of things. Even after his sister-wife got him all stitched up, he still ended up with an eternal strap-on.
• Inanna spent a lot more time hanging up as a sack of skin on a wall than Koetting spent in jail.
• Loki's immortal-snake-venom-dripping-on-him-while-he's-tied-in-his-son's-guts-torment is not an ongoing rave with flashing lights and limitless hookers and blow until Ragnarok comes.
• Prometheus*** getting his liver et daily for all eternity ain't all that grand either.

Dionysus, Hephaestus, arguably Hera, these gods are not having it great all the time either. They go to prison, they have unhealed limps, they are cheated on and degraded by their husbands, they are kicked out of cities. They travel grave paths, and suffer unspeakable things.

Who can look at the gods and think you're actually going to have it perfect all the time, that you are immune to machinations and manipulations, that the temporal authorities of the Earth are not going to be able to give you a bad day?

But a fallen god, as the stories show, is pretty hard to keep down.

Maybe Koetting talked a lot of shit before this, and I can relate. There was a time when I talked a lot of shit until things went sour and my magic worked all too well. I honestly expect him to bounce back and turn this to his advantage. It would be neat if he were to take another approach to magic that leads him to the same expression of "Deus est Homo" that he made prior to this, but with more meaning and understanding, a little less hubris and a little more pride. I might even have a suggestion or two from my own experiences that he might find useful, if he's interested (cough cough cough SEVEN SPHERES cough cough cough).

But maybe he won't bounce back. Maybe this is it for him, Maybe he's going to burn out and be a loser, and we'll never hear from him again.

Whatever, he can do what he wants, just like any other god can. I ain't gonna judge. I'm going to carry on being god-emperor of my own world, king of my kingdom, experiencing my experiences in style and joy, and I'm going to create and maintain it as I see fit. I'll work with him in the future if it's profitable to us both, or I won't if it's not interesting.

I'll go my way, and he will, I swear to all of you right now, go his, and what he does is his will, his joy, and also his problem, just like any other god.

Because the thing is, he is a god. Not because of any of the magic he did, but because we all are, intrinsically, and we just forgot. That's what Hermetics says, guys. Gods and humans are cousins, and the power of the Gods is not bestowed upon us by magic, it is simply revealed, remembered, and understood through the magic we do. Some approaches may be more effective than others, but the conclusion he reached that I heard, "Magic teaches you to become a living god" is still accurate, and not in the slightest disproven because he had a run in with Johnny Law.

Every one of us has the "divine" potential to change the world, if we want to badly enough, if we're willing to do what it takes, and we don't necessarily need anything supernatural to make it happen. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Aleister Crowley, Jesus Christ, they all had terrible farts at some point in their lives, and they all had some shitty days in court over bullshit.

Human, god, whatever you want to call yourself in your time on Earth, you can do what you want, and deal with what happens as a result. Magic doesn't make you immune to stress, bullets, the police, snitches, or anything else that entities have to deal with in the manifest world, whether they are gods or humans. It can help you influence things, but it doesn't give you control over anything but yourself, the only thing that can change anything in your life.

So yeah, while I'm not surprised that a black magic occult rock star is doing drugs (the shock, the horror!) or that a "living god" is still subject to the laws and influences of the worldly powers, I don't think we've seen the "Fall" of anyone this week. Just some life happening.

We'll see how long it takes before he shuffles out of the tomb.

* By the way, he was pulled over and arrested by the Washington County Drug Task force as a result of a tip they got a week before. It wasn't some routine traffic stop, they were after his ass.

** Premature because there's no such thing as bad press. I have thought of a few different ways he can turn this event into a gold mine. If he's really just after cash, I hope he sees the value of the reverse Sam Kinnison, also known as the Mike Warnke schtick. He's set himself up to actually be the Satanic black magic magician Mike Warnke claimed to be, and if he concocts a convincing "Come to Jesus" moment in jail, he will have a lifetime of free money touring pentecostal gatherings, talking about how he was living in sin with a woman, addicted to drugs, worshipping satan and having the gall to call himself a living God, until that moment when the REAL living God struck him down in his pride, but had mercy and grace to save a sinner, halleluiah! and shit.

But he can also get off using magic, and court cases aren't that hard to influence. He can totally turn this around to his advantage Charlie Sheen style, even if he goes to prison. Tiger's blood will out.

*** Thanks to +Craig 'VI' Slee for the correction to my shitty memory.

SEVEN SPHERES PUBLISHED!

So for Real

Guys! Hey guys! Holy shit, I'm totally published for real! And it's Seven Spheres, and it's going to be available at Nephilim Press in a couple of days  AVAILABLE NOW and I'm like shitting myself with excitement!

Alright, not just because it's about me getting published, although, fuck yeah, that rocks. It's about fucking time, amiright?

But here's the thing, guys, I don't want you to buy it unless you're actually going to use it. The book is a much-expanded version of the Seven Gates rites I put together, and it takes you through each planetary sphere, and draws down a specific power. As these powers integrate and manifest in your life, things just sort of change.

This is the practice manual for Hermetic Planetary Magic. It invokes a specific current that turns you into the King of your world. It gets you out of bad relationships and into good ones. It gets you out of bad jobs and into good ones. It gets you out of bad lives and on the path toward creating something better for yourself, using the powers and skills that are yours by birthright because you're an amazing magician.

There are limited numbers though, and I want them to go to people who will do the magic. I hope everyone who buys the book will also sign up for the accompanying class, but that's not entirely necessary. The book is $50, and the class is going to be $75, so a total of $125. You'll have to buy them separately though.

You can buy the book without buying the class, but you can't buy the class without buying the book, so if you're going to take the class, buy the book now.

Buy the book AT THIS LINK from Nephilim Press. I'll put up a link to the course later this week.

I'm not going to just make bold ass claims about how awesome my magical practice is in people's lives though, that's bullshit. I've got something better, the actual experience of folks who've done this already.

A group of us did these rites a couple years ago, when I thought getting published would be a matter of a few weeks, tops, in preparation for the launch. We went through and did a ton of high intensity magic in a very short period of time. You can see the kinds of transforamtion it had in people's lives, and also, note that it's not perfect perfection and everything they ever wanted all at once. Like all real magical transformations, it takes time to integrate and release the forces we're dealing with.

Some of the reports are from people who participate in my Red Work series of courses. That's great, it gives a stronger understanding of the forces and stuff we work with, but it's not necessary. I'd rather you jumped into this and joined the upcoming Seven Spheres course.

But anyway, on with the testimonies! We went through the Seven Spheres, and here's some of what happened over the next year in people's lives:

I got married, moved into a bigger apartment with lower rent, replaced my old car, and my bosses are trying to get me a two level promotion with a nice raise. Oh, that all happened in the last 7 days. My life is definitely exploding, but in good ways. This week is the first week calm enough that I can get my 5 week planetary cycle going. - T. R.

(Note, he's now in the UK pursuing the dream life.)

I've been able to institute some major changes in what I teach at school, how I teach, and how students learn: a lot more constructivism (i.e., getting kids to learn for themselves, more akin to learning alchemy than sitting in a lecture), training colleagues at my school and other schools. My life has been thrown into a tizzy by all of this. Great love, great power. My tai chi practice has taken off, too. I have a working studio as an artist-designer in the front room of my house, and a working studio at school that I share with 175 kids and another 40 adults. And thanks to the spirits of your grimoire, I know how to make use of these spaces, and an increasing number of my colleagues are learning. Solar power — drawing others into the orbits of self transformation!

All happy? No. I'm one creator-god among a small group of 200-odd creator-gods, and I'm pushing rope uphill against a lot of things — a sedentary egregore, a culture of "do the minimum", a high-stress working environment for kids and adults, a bad education market, and...

No matter. The spirits are clear that none of this can be fixed overnight; and some of it can't BE fixed. Sometimes what magicians have to do is keep hammering on doors that must be opened, even if we're not the ones who are going to open them. - Andrew Watt

I was very active in the last month, so I dont know how much of it happened because of the planetary spheres, But anyway here it is: had some crazy love, got a new interesting job & 2 months of non-stop initiations in my chosen spiritual path in india.......... - Spiros Sonnu

It most certainly made a difference in my life. I did magic instead of just reading about it. I was ecstatic to be wrapped in the power to bring happiness to myself and others. At the same time, I was trying to hold up some things that I should have let go of. Being honest to yourself and understanding what will make you happy/fulfilled is hard. - Mr. L

There´s a lot of things. I improved my ritual skills, I moved to a bigger house with a room exclusive for magic, solved some mother problems to sell an apartment then I received some money too and payd some old bills. A new computer at least, but still no internet connection. Appears my writings are receiving more visibility.By other side, Mr Grim helped too: My girlfriend become into depression and have gone. Two persons who attack me right now are responding in various criminal justice.(Thanks Michael!) They tried to kill me. So I had to move house fast because I become chased by the gang from that two ones.That is, only to remember that the energies bring results, but sometimes something has to change dramatically. - Gilberto Strapazon

Immediate results: I noticed significant changes in my behaviors and personality. I became much more social. I started thinking a lot more about where my life was, where I want it go, and what I need to make that happen. For the first time in my life I'm pushing for a raise, which I am getting (just how much will be determined this week). The main thing that got me thinking about this was the fact that I've been dealing with depression for over 20 years, and I realized that I haven't had a significant low since this group was started and I performed 2 cycles of rituals. That meant more to me than all the other factors, though I'm quite happy with all changes I've noticed. - Seraph Bonobo

Honestly, it's been mixed. I feel like a lot of stuff is still boiling off of my sphere and it's all still in process. I've been regularly conjuring Raphael, Hermes, and Tzadkiel every week, and occasional the other planets. Lot of internal shifts and some good advice. But mundanely, I can't say things have gotten better or worse. Then again, most of the time I just ask FOR advice and blessings, not direct intervention. I still feel very weird about calling up the angels, etc, and demanding things. - H.C.

I did it, and had very positive results (but please note the distinction between 'positive' and 'pleasant'). From a macro perspective, I basically positioned myself to have a good career; I was in a bad place professionally, gone to seed, though I didn't realize it at the time. The catalyst was a relationship that started soon after, with a woman much better established than I was; I had the sense that an ordeal was coming and I think it was kind of an ordeal for both of us, and while we're still sorting that out, there's no question that huge internal changes happened, and I'm better off now than before. - J. M.

I'm a Red Work course member. Finished the black work, currently re-doing the white work, and I do 7 spheres gate rituals on and off. I haven't really given much feedback to you RO, but I'd like to think I've been successful with it. I'm in a MUCH better place than I was a year ago. Twice the income, arguably twice the happiness. Home life going well. Honestly, life is good. *Really* good. - R. D.

I came into this with severe doubts about where I was headed both magickally and professionally. As I stand now, I have no doubt about the path that I'm on. I've found what works, and I'm going in the right directions, and it's all just going to get better from now (not without bumps!) I have a lover who I adore and who makes me feel like a Queen - it's not a relationship that I think is destined to last for the long-term, but in the short term I am blissfully happy, -and- it's a relationship that teaches me a great many specific lessons I have needed to learn. I have grown in my relationships with the spirits. I am working toward meeting and knowing my HGA (of whatever title). I resolved my career uncertainties and took the path that was right for me instead of the one I felt pressured to take. (Now I just have to work on ensuring that the NIH sequestration doesn't mess that up..) There are probably things I've forgotten to list here, because I sprained my ankle on the way in to work and am in way more pain than promotes good cognition. Hey, they can't all be banner days, right? - Sierra Adams

Planetary Gates of the Seven Spheres

I've recently received a number of requests for the Planetary Gates series of rites I put together a couple years ago. People are wondering where they are at, and why they can't buy the ebooks anymore.

Well, there's a reason they aren't for sale any more. They are being released, in a much-expanded fromat as a published book by Nephilim press.

In a week or two. Bwahahahaha!

Yes, that's right, I  went full bore on this and turned it into an actual book. It takes you through each of the spheres in a series of rituals that result in the release of a current that transforms everything in your life, like magic.

And it's great on its own. Many people will buy it and enjoy it, and experience some neat stuff as a result.

But like many things in the occult, this book exists as the same thing, but on multiple levels. While the book itself is sufficient to tap into the current, it will also serve as the textbook to the series of courses that will be replacing the Green Work courses I used to offer. I will be putting together an introductory presentation that recaps the Black Work course, training people in the fundamentals of the system of magic that I use (to great success). After that will be a presentation that covers the basic intentions of the class. Then there will be seven consecutive presentations, one for each sphere. Then there will be a conclusion, that covers the practical application of the cycle of rites that are covered in each of the previous presentations.

It's going to be pretty fucking intense.

The point is to empower you to be the king and queen of your world. You are the center of your existence, and it is through your decisions and actions that you influence the experience of your manifest lfie. From money, to sex, to happiness, to fulfillment, all of your life expereinces are the result of decisions you make based on your awareness of what's going on at the time.

The Seven Spheres book and course will take you through each of the planetary spheres and expose you to the intelligences of each sphere. You will receive the blessings and teachings of these spirits, and you will understand how those spirits and forces manifest through you in an intimate way to create or influence every expereince you have in your entire life. You will have the opportunity to integrate and project these forces as you see fit, expanding your potential by expanding your understanding.

The goal of this Work* is to create a world with more royals working together to express their fiat as they see fit. All are not called, all are not chosen to receive this Word, or to perform the Work of being themselves fully. And that's alright. I'm not going to change the world for everyone, I'm just here to help some folks understand a bit more about what they could be doing with their lives, if they tried.

But things are still in development. The page isn't ready at Nephilim to start taking orders, and I haven't finished the courses. It's coming though, and apparently I've got to get my ass in gear. I've got some magic to help with that.

Oh, and look for me and Harper in a city near you. We're putting together some presentations to present the system at a high level, and the message of my book at a specific level in as many places as we can reach over the next little while. We've got something booked already in March for Kentucky, at a place called Seven Spheres Oasis, of course.

More stuff to come as things develop.

* and you better believe the publication of every book I publish is a magical act

Live on SOMA now...

Right now. Immediately.

For an hour and a half, 3:30 to 5:00 pm Central right now. For FREE.

With Jason Miller and Aaron Leitch and others who wrote some stuff about offerings. In Magic. :)

clicketh this link.

Ghosts in the Machines

Come One, come ALL, step right up! Shake off those eternal doldrums of perfect non-being. It's been way too long! Manifest "Now!"

Take advantage of one of our most popular destinations, and visit the roaring Earth! Blissfully incarnate and experience the most exquisite aspects of being! 

Not only do you get sadness and joy, you also get angst, suffering, and orgasm*! Experience the unique grating inevitabilty of discomfort and duress, interspersed with indeterminate moments of absolute bliss that can only be experienced on Earth!

The infinitely unlikely, highly advanced Manifestation Enhancement and Tactical Symbiotic biotechnic interfaces has taken over four billion years to create, and it continues to be enhanced with every generation. While some defects have been statistically noted in the process, all aspects of divinity have unanimously expressed nothing but gratitude for their experiences in even the least efficient interface available to consciousness.

The current version comes with a standard set of senses, each delivering a million variated combinations of experiences across the chemical and physical spectrum of possible states. Smells and colors, tastes and sounds await you! 

The environment itself is custom-designed to be a wonder of experiences available in Normal mode, but wait until you unlock the Intermediate and Advanced perception levels! Multiple in-experience chemical prizes are readily available in natural and synthetic forms, allowing you to temporarily experience the advanced settings. Also available are the the longer-term spiritual approaches to similar states of mind.

In the current era, we an even offer a path that incorporates both the spiritual and chemical methods of altered awareness that have become popular among a certain genre of incarnationists.

Take advantage now, and you can participate in:

• The Obamic Golden Age
• Legalization of Marijuana
• The Plague and Zombie Apocalypse
• 13th Century Illuminated Islamic Revival (encore performance, hurry before the last Mujahideen is born!)
• Magic, Miracles, and Mayhem
• The ever-popular Hidden Oligarchic Hegemony Society (all the Machiavellian intrigue you could ask for, in any role imaginable!)
• Also ... pretty much any other human-era role imaginable continues to be available across every probability in the continuum**

Reap the rewards of Privilege, or suffer the injustices of inequality, as you see fit! Delight in family, loneliness, true love and heart break! Experience the luxuries of poverty, and the depravities of wealth! Do what thou Will! See the suffering and the joy in all things, and bring that experience back with You when you Return!

Come One!

Come ALL!***

* "Orgasm" feature is currently available in all incarnate genders
** As Originally Intended, see Terms and Conditions section 230542, subsection 93 93/93, Xallixti

*** There's literally nothing else to do!****

**** Forever!

On Death and Suffering, but mostly Death, from an Illuminated Hermetic Perspective, because it's that time again.

Already Dead Anyway

Ah, autumn! Tis the Season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la

DEATH.

It's a fucking blessing, goddamn it. It's a sign that you did your time, finished what you meant to, and you're moving on. It's a right, a privilege, and an honor. The folks left behind have some issues to deal with, sure, but my death is mine, and I'll take it when and where I will, even if I haven't let myself in on that fact just yet.

That's the conclusion I've reached (at this point) regarding death, and that's after having created the philosopher's stone, accomplishing the great work, and attaining Illumination through the Hermetic practices of Western esoteric magics.

Your mileage may vary.

My friends are reaching the age when their parents die. Mine are old, and getting older. I send them money each month now to pay their mortgage, and their cell phone bill. They are on my MicroSoft Office plan, so they get Office for my $10 a month. And they are Christians.

I visited my Grandmother this summer, with my kids. They are 12 and 13 at the moment, and they never met her before. My grandmother's house hasn't changes since I was 12.

She's 92.

They could go any time. Any fucking time. Intimate parts of my life that affect me on a weekly and daily basis, just gone. Leaving me empty and desolate. Leaving me wondering about whether I lived enough with them the way I'd wanted to while they were alive. It's that time in my life where I have to think about that.

But then again, they could live another 20 fucking years. Or more. Who knows? How much of my life should I spend on them, knowing they could go any time, or they might be here after I'm gone?

So: family, and loved ones, and death, and shit. How does it matter, what's the impact on our lives?

The best person I ever saw deal with death was +Christopher Bradford. If I ever go through anything similar, I expect to do as well, and if I don't, I'm an asshole. See, he's a magician, and he gets it. He understands magic, spirits, and the axis that goes from here to there, from here to where we come from, and he believes it and acts as if what he knows is true.

And if I don't, god save me from my very own wrath. And contempt.

Death sucks for people left behind, if they don't get it.

For the rest of us, it's a celebration. Dude's getting a break, ffs. Halleluiah!

Oh, sure, life's harder for the rest of us, sucks to be sad missing them and shit, but damn, that one's got a chance at leveling up, moving on, leaving behind the bullshit of each sphere, and becoming a power, if that's their Will. Or they come back and do something different... if they want.

Or they go to some valhalla or some heaven or some hell for a while. Whatever they're into, that's awesome.

Or they don't. Whatever, they had their time... it's cool.

Because...

Existence is pure joy.

There's a thing in the spiritual paths we tread that is expressed in that phrase that people choke on. It's not a fun thing to face or deal with, that even the worst suffering on Earth is actually secretly wonderful in some way. The ultimate blaming of the victim, the inevitable shrieks that such a thing, if true, would somehow justify the worst atrocities committed.

Hogwash.

To say that suffering is pure joy is simply to point out that even the worst experience of existence is better than not existing at all. It doesn't excuse anyone from anything, it doesn't make anything better, really.

But frankly, it doesn't have to "make anything better." If you read "existence is pure joy" and can't comprehend it, you have never understood nonexistence. If not existing were preferable to the suffering the most miserable of us go through, brothers and sisters, we wouldn't be here.

We aren't stupid.

Ok, we aren't that stupid.

I'm certainly not, anyway.

Harper and I were talking the other day about illuminated enlightened understanding of the world, and how it's basically a matter of understanding existence from an eternal perspective.

People caught in the body-mind-current-experience-of-the-moment can't even appreciate what they're going through, because they're all afraid. People who get it from an eternal perspective aren't afraid, they're thirsty for experience, because they see that if nothing else, this is the one chance they get to taste the universe the way it is right now from their perspective.

Live like you're dead already, and you got a chance to be alive again.

That's basically what we're doing, imho.

And if I'm wrong, who gives a shit? My way is a lot more fun.

And besides...

You're already dead.

Money Beg Options

So I'm going to put together a conference next year in June or July with a few of my friends (and an arch-enemy), here in Minneapolis, MN. We'll talk about Hermetic Miracles, the Goetic Revival, Esoteric archives and the lessons they teach, maybe some Greek Magical Papyri-derived rites, strategic applications of sorceric intents, and various conjuration techniques and experiences, and maybe even how much more awesome we are than McWiccans and online OTO CMs and stuff.

You know... the usual... Regardless, you know my friends are cool. It will rock.

But I need money to fly someone over from the UK, and someone and his wife from Florida, and someone from Jersey, and like, I don't know, deposits and shit. So about $5,000 would be awesome.

Getting that kind of money will be relatively easy using certain resources, but I need a good framework to wrap it around. Like kickstarter or indie gogo or ... Just having people send me money on FaceBook or some shit.

Anyway, any advice from anyone on putting together a low-maintenance, donation-based cash-condensation machine that just puts it all in a readily accessible account with not-too-many-fees?

"The Terrified Digestive Tract...

... with a strong urge to fuck."

I was thinking about the human condition and the economy of consciousness* the other day, and the method and process of the Great Work in general. As I considered that ancient cosmic question, "what's it all about, man" it occurred to me that the motivations of your average human can be understood completely when you recognize that humans are an extremely successful ambulatory digestive tract that spends most of its time terrified, and the rest of the time trying to get laid.

Take Maslow's hierarchy of needs, for example. The bottom three layers are all about eating, living and fucking. If you don't eat, you'll die! If you're not safe, you could get hurt, or die! If you're not fucking, you won't pass on your genetic code when you die!

Arguably the fourth layer, esteem, can also be understood as an expression of the terror of existence. We are social because packs of monkeys are more successful than lone monkeys. We're afraid to die, so we built society as a tool to subjugate wild nature and to protect us from other less-successful ambulatory digestive tracts.

The four (and sometimes five) part model of the soul I like to work with from the Qabala identifies the two "souls" closest to matter as the Guf and the Nephesh. The Guf is the actual body, and all its physiological requirements, and the Nephesh is the animal-soul, the autonomous consciousness of the body that keeps us breathing when we aren't thinking about it, and the part the feels the primal emotions of terror, lust, rage, and loneliness.

Together they are the terrified digestive tract with a strong urge to fuck.

Most of the time the deciding factor in where we pay our attention is the command of the wants and needs of the Guf and the Nephesh. These two lower souls are in control of most people's consciousness most of the time.

But Hermetics teaches us to do it differently. From Agrippa to Crowley, there's a process of education and practice that leads to the point where your Neshemah is the source of direction, with the other parts providing appropriate input in the decision-making process.

The point is the gradual shift in the seat of your perspective. A complete change of view. The end-state magician is made of the same parts as the beginning-state mafician, with the same potntial in each moment of pursuing the things that bring them true happiness.

The difference is that the end-state magician has gone through a indoctrination process that not only tells them who and what they are in the grand scheme of things, it gives them examples as they go along to prove the value and effectiveness of the system. You learn the things, you conure the things, and you learn from the things. It's a self-reinforcing system of expanding awareness and ability.

The end-state magician is a consciousness seated in the eternal part of the self, and focuses the attention of the complete incarnated entity on the things it wants to experience in its particular instance. It knows it's a part of everything, and is intently focused on doing what it wants to do, the reason it particpiates in everything as an individuated instance in the first place.

Here in the mundane world it manifests as you being at ease in your situations, aware of what's happening behind the scenes, why it's happening, and how you can turn the situation to your own pleasure. You look confident, and seem to live a charmed life. Things just happen to go your way, and you accept that and move forward.

It doesn't make everything perfect, and there's always some new mystery to examine and process, so you don't really get bored.

You just get to have fun, no matter what's going on.

* For an interesting ride down similar trails, with many of the same roadside attractions, check out Ryan Valentines' post on the Economy of Desire.

The Economy of Consciousness

A friend and I were talking about magic and doubt the other day, and specifically that one doubt magicians suffer about our magical practices secretly all being make believe, fantasy fiction and wishful thinking. That "What if I'm just making all this shit up?" feeling. The fear of self delusion.
I would make the argument that this, in fact, is the most important question that a magician can ask themselves, all the time. Self-doubt and observation are key factors in any relative success of a magical practice like this. You wouldn't want to go off the deep end, would you? You gotta keep a sane perspective on things in your life. I think.

But it's secretly even more important than that whole silly "sanity clause" to ask this question. The question itself contains a Hermetic mystery.

"What if..." 

What are the implications of the question? If it were true, would that mean you are delusional? Is that the dangerous possibility that makes the question sort of horrifying to us? Maybe it's the waste of time? I mean, we could be spending years amassing piles of money, or changing the world with social activism and revolution instead of reading fairy tales.

But tighten it another notch and turn it around a bit. 

What if I'm just making all this shit up?

That's the actual premise of Hermetics, and we today understand that point very well. We really are just making this shit up. All of it, all the time. Our experiences are all interpretations of sense interfaces that are not real time. Our brains seem to process everything that happens each moment and turn all that data into a bubble of interactive awareness. We're all living a few nanoseconds in the past all the time, and we think it's now. And the universe and our ongoing experience of the universe, with memory and thought and time and running narrative supports the theory that it is actually real stuff we are experiencing through the senses.

And we can turn our attention to different input sensors. How cool is that? Think about your toes for a second. You weren't thinking about them before, but they were still there, and you can now vaguely recall that part of your awareness was secretly monitoring and reporting all kinds of data to you from your toes the whole time, but you weren't really paying attention to it.

Heh, "paying" attention. Attention and awareness are the currency we use to create and maintain the alleged material world we experience in our sensory bubbles in our brains. It's how the invisible part of us makes things happen to, through, and for the visible part of ourselves.

I mean, here's a mundane example... You can create a high paying job in the tech industry by paying your attention to the tools, techniques, and skills necessary to do the things that people get paid high amounts for in the tech industry. You create and influence your reality using an economy of consciousness wherein the function of exchange is the payment of attention. That's how it works.

And how hard is it to think thoughts? You're doing it right now. My thoughts are flowing into your mind where you're processing them as you interact with them. And I made you think about toes earlier. I created that experience for you by writing on the internet, which is even easier than thinking. 

So... What if we are just making all this shit up? 

Since we are?

Given that as a premise, the question changes to something else entirely: WHAT NOW? What are you going to do, what will you pay attention to, and how will you change your life, and everyone else's? 

What happens next?

And that transformation is the Hermetic mystery I was talking about. That flipping of the switch that takes a doubt and turns it into a virgin in the morning. It goes from a thing of fear and concern and turns it into an expression of that god-image-ness that is the mortal and immortal human being.

Now, I'm not saying it is, but pretend for a moment that this simple switch in thinking from "what if" to "what now" is the mental result of accomplishing the Great Work and is the thing that is different about the human among humans who has created the Philosopher's Stone. 

Now spend some time pretending that's you. What do you do? 

Pay off your creditors, then amass a fortune? That's one thing you could do, in the economy of consciousness.

* The ability to create is not the ability to control. If you don't believe me, have kids.

If you didn't know, the best thing in recent history

I interrupt the continuing indoctrination and expansion of my personal hermetic messiah complex on your lives to bring you this, if you didn't already know. I'm totally sure you knew, but if not, you're welcome.

Episode 1, Season 1.

They better make more of these.

Why 'Back to the Future' Is Secretly Horrifying -- powered by Cracked.com

ANYWAY... Spirit pots aren't even the fucking point.

The success stories of working with Buné are pouring in, and I feel really lucky to be the guy who got to tell people about their access to such awesomeness. It's what I'm here for, really, to remind people that they are wondrous beings, truly special, even though they think so poorly of themselves.

So I'm super glad that spirit pots are making people's lives better. That's why I wrote about them. Because I know that they are a quick and effective way to work with spirits to make money, and not having money is the root of many of the things that keep us in ignorant savagery and wage slavery.

But fuck me, man. Money's just bullshit. We can take/make it any time we want. We're magicians, for fuck's sake (FFS). Money is fucking child games. Hopscotch, tetherball. GIGO.

There's rules, and there's rules, and we follow the rules and we make money. I talk about it because it's the carrot that leads you back to your rightful place in life, I teach you how we can make miracles happen in our daily lives, because we need miracles, all of us. Healing of body, but mostly mind and spirit. The evaporation of stressors, the elimination of debt, the freedom of power, and the power of liberty.

The miracles are awesome, and they help immediately remove the shit that's causing us grief and stress. That's cool, practically speaking, and necessary. But the real lesson is not how to do a fucking miracle, FFS.

It's that you can do miracles.

That's right, you, motherfucker, you. You. YOU.

You, with that ledger full of all your personal crap that you know is fucked up about you, you do miracles. You, the little girl or boy inside who gets all low and trots out all the shit you've fucked up in your life, you are holy. You who lost the job, the girl, the bus ticket, the opportunity of a lifetime, you, you are a spirit in the flesh who gets to create the world all the fucking time, for real.

Real? Let's get fucking real.

Who the fuck are you, that you can call a spirit, cut a deal, and change the world? Who are you that they answer, that they come? Who are you?

I posit that you, brothers and sisters, are gods.

But don't take my word for it, research it, experiment learn the god skills and practices, learn to be really good at it, and create your world as you see fit. Or as my brother might have put it:

“If you do not do the works of Our First Father, do not believe me; but if You do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in You, and You are in the Father.” 

Visible College Autumn Festival Coming Soon

If you're in the UK and you've not yet had a chance to go, jump on the chance to hang out with Sef Salem, Gordon White, Jake Stratton-Kent, and many other amazing occultists. They're putting on some incredible shit over at the Visible College. I'm really glad to see Sef making things jump.

Sigh, I really want to have scotch with those guys, and seeing a Dueling Necromancer presentation ... I mean, just... what more could you ask for?

But wait!

It's going to be recorded and available for digital download!

Digital scotch isn't as nice, but still, I'm down for it. Maybe we can set something up local at the lodge and have streaming parties, with booze and cheese. And thin shaved pieces of meats.

Ye-esss. I'm digging this plan a lot.

http://www.visiblecollege.co.uk/autumn-session/

Working with Spirit Pots

Hey-O! Your friendly neighborhood Hermetic mage Rufus Opus here!

Disclaimer: They Aren't Really "Spirit Pots"

Before going any further with this spirit pot thing, I'm going to tell the origin story of spirit pots for the massive amounts of readers I've attracted lately who weren't here for the first part of my Work when I was going through all this in the first place.

I was on the Solomonic yahoo group talking about Solomonic and other types of grimoire magic with Aaron Leitch, Jake Stratton Kent, Brother Moloch, Zadkiel, Joe Peterson, and a bunch of other people who are noteworthy and should be paid attention to. Aaron and Jake were talking about the relationship of the ATRs and Solomonic magic, and Aaron suggested that a spirit pot would be an interesting way to work with a spirit of, say, for example, the Lemegeton's Goetia. He drew analogies between the brass vessel of the Lesser Key's Goetia and the spirit pot of Palo. And I was like, wow, what a great idea! So I did it, and it worked great.

So please understand, I am not saying this is an authentic Palo Spirit Pot. I am not saying this is how the authentic grimoire magicians actually worked with their spirits. I am not saying the brass vessel of the Lesser Key is actually a spirit pot like the ones I'm talking about here. These are simply spirit pots that are pots with spirits in it along with stuff that is traditionally associated with the same sphere as the spirits are associated with. I say that hoping to stave off "that guy," but I suspect that, like one of the more recent posts, I will again attract "that guy" anyway. I don't really care, it's kind of fun to argue with the unenlightened. I can totally pass it off as Projection of the Stone.*

Ok, so the disclaimer is out of the way, and you folks who skimmed it are probably here already, before I even finished writing it.

Working with the "Not Really Spirit Pots:" Conjuration

The first thing you'll have to do after combining the ingredients in the pot (herbs ruled by the planet, use Agrippa, some dirt from your yard, and the Seal of the Spirit, preferably in the appropriate metal of the planet the spirit is associated with, but also paper works; see my Modern Goetic Grimoire for deets if you don't have them, or esotericarchives.com for free) is conjure the spirit.

I recommend creating a real life Magic Circle at least one time before beginning this kind of Work. It does things to you, man. Awesome things. Make the one from the Lesser Key's Goetia. It will teach you everything you need to know about the world you are a part of that you should have learned from Agrippa's Scale of the Number 10.

Also, it helps to have K&CHGA. It's not that hard, but it can take a while. Totally worth it.

I'm also digging being an ordained Priest in a lineage that (possibly) goes back to Jesus Christ his own self. I got the power to make things holy by blessing them, even demons. Mwahahahahaha...**

(Thanks Jason and Shawn!)

I use a modification of the Trithemian Art of Drawing Spirits into Chrystals, which is in my Modern Goetic Grimoire, to conjure the spirit. If you want to use this method, I think it's awesome and easy, and useful. It's not traditional and it might kill you.*** If it does, it's not my fault. You can use whatever suits you, if you don't like that particular approach, but again, if you do any of this magic, it's not safe. It might very well change your life, and people, that is dangerous.

Magic, she works.

So be warned, when this stuff kicks in and you're like, wow, just ... wow...

It's not my fault.

So you conjure the spirit. You invite it to live in the pot and work with you from that pot, making it a viable, living talisman, a physical manifestation of that spirit on the material plane. When it approves, you mention you want it to play nice and be a good dude. You constrain it to not harm anyone or anything. You bless its actions and its purpose and its intention. You thank it. You treat it like a guest.

You say at the end, "As you came in peace, so now remain in power."

Think about that before you say it out loud. Make sure you can handle that shit.

After the Conjuration

Now that your spirit pot is live, you'll want to use it right away I'm sure. You'll need to master two things:

• Clean and clear statements of intent
• Appropriate Offerings

Everyone I've ever talked to about working with the spirits of the Lesser Key has come away with lessons about being specific in your statements of intent. At a recent talk (MNCON) the thing that the experienced conjurors could all agree on was that working with these spirits is a lesson in loopholes. You learn quickly how you can get everything you ask for, and nothing you want.

Working with these spirits is a bit of ... well, work. They are not human. They have a different set of senses, experiences, values, goals, and senses of humor. They need guidance, training, and a firm hand. They will take advantage of you as long as you let them, but over time you'll learn what works with them the best. Give them lots of offerings, at first, and see how they manifest things. Then sharpen you statement of intent skills, develop the laser focus. And ration the offerings, the way you train animals.

They aren't animals, by any means, and I hope this doesn't come across like I'm saying you should act in any way other than respectful of entities that have been around millenia longer than you have been, who will be here much longer after you're dust. I'm just saying, humans are a part of the celestial hierarchy, same as the Archangels and the Demons, according to Hermetic teachings, and you've got to accept your role as Ishim in the flesh, straddle the heavens and the hells, and direct your legions of spirits...

Like a boss.

Just remember, you're in training too. These guys are awesome, powerful, mischievous, and smarter than you. They will work with you to make you skillful in your mastery of your kingdom if you're not a fool. Listen to them when they offer advice, as you get used to them.

Be measured, don't do "whatever the demon says" because that's stupid. Do, however, learn to listen to them and learn from them. It will pay off quickly.

Practical Stuff

How to make offerings and requests, the 10,000 foot view

• Four candles placed around the spirit pot, anointed/sanctified in some way (abramelin oil, holy water, florida water, prayer)
• A shot of something can be fun too, whisky, wine, vodka, whatever you feel is appropriate for the spirit; optional
• Clear statement of intent ready before you go
• Say "[Spirit name], hear me and accomplish the desires I bring you, without tricks or deception. Bring me specifically what I desire. Manifest for me in the material world [statement of intent] with no harm or damage to any one. Make me aware of the opprtunities in ways that even I cannot mistake or miss. Receive this offering to make it so."
• Light the candles.
• Anoint the seal or pot with the shot, if you have one.

You're done.

If you don't get what you asked for in two weeks, don't rush into blaming the spirit or yourself. Go back and think about what you asked for, and whether you missed any opportunities. Think of another way to say it. Craft your statement of intent carefully, and make the offerings contingent on the success.

Also, take small steps at first, with little risk. The greater the change you request, the more opportunity you're creating for things to go wrong. A series of small steps is much more likely to be successively successful than one huge massive change, and it will give you time to adjust, adapt, and learn what works best with the spirit you have in your pot.

Keep your requests simple enough that they can manifest through natural means, in ways that aren't necessarily obvious that something amazing is going on in your life. Be strategic. Re-read Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery if you haven't in a while.

Keep a record of your requests and your results, especially as you get to know the spirit and how it works so you can see what works and what doesn't. Review it, because no mater what you think, you will forget something it said, or you thought, or you said, or it thought along the way, and you'll really appreciate it later if you write it down now.

Have Fun

So I made a sort of big to do about the potential dangers of this stuff, but remember, there's nothing you (or anyone else for that matter) can do with magic that cannot be undone with magic. You can't break anything, you can only make new opportunities to do more magic. Everything is an experience, even unto the very brief moments you spend breathing air on the planet in each incarnation. Don't panic. Have fun.

* Me to the unenlightened, Projecting the Stone into their lives: "You're fucking stupid!"

** Or at least I think I do... Mwahahahahahahaha!

*** I'm fine after 8 years of doing this kind of thing, doubt it will kill you, but it might make life interesting.